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Melissa Gilbert Addresses Child Sex Abuse Issues Ahead of Husband Timothy Busfield’s Arrest Warrant
Just a few weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, was served with an arrest warrant, Melissa Gilbert took to social media to talk about child sex abuse.
On Jan. 9, the Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant against Busfield, 68, for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. According to the allegations, the actor sexually abused two 11-year-old boys who were twins, and one of the boys said the abuse started when he was 7,.
Not long before this, on Nov. 15, Gilbert, 61, shared a throwback picture, reminiscing her days at Little House on the Prairie. She mentioned that there was a scene where her character was in a relationship with an older man, played by Dean Butler, who was much older than her then.
Melissa Gilbert Shares Thoughts on Childhood and Consent While Husband Deals with Legal Issues
During a deeply personal disclosure on Instagram, Melissa Gilbert expressed what it has been like for a teenage girl in the world of show business, reflecting on the popular hashtags #iwasfifteen, #imfifteen, and #iwasachild that have been circulating.
“Well, I deliberated a lot before sharing this but, I just have to put it out there,” Gilbert explained. She talked about a time when she searched herself on Google and at first, was “actually physically sick” from what she saw. She was reminiscing about shooting scenes with an older boyfriend character, played by Dean Butler, who was quite older than her.
“Today, it totally blows my mind through the lens of a mature person. I have no other expressions other than the fact that, ‘I WAS A CHILD.’ ‘I WAS FIFTEEN,'” she penned. Gilbert thanked her mother, Michael Landon Sr., and others who protected her for always being there for her, while agreeing that there are many girls who are less lucky.
Neither Gilbert’s nor her husband, Timothy Busfield’s, who is being accused of child sexual abuse, representatives have yet to respond to inquiries for comments.
Melissa Gilbert Reacts to Megyn Kelly as Husband Timothy Busfield Faces Investigation for Sexual Abuse
The thoughtful Instagram post of Melissa Gilbert came in response to controversial comments made by Megyn Kelly about the sex offender, convicted of child molestation Jeffrey Epstein. On her Nov. 12 Sirius XM show, Kelly insinuated that Epstein “was into the barely legal type,” to which Gilbert responded, “@Megynkelly you have to watch your language.”
Simultaneously, a probe into Timothy Busfield, the husband of Gilbert, was launched in November 2024 after a report of sexual abuse was made by a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
Based on the arrest warrant, the parents of the victims informed Officer Marvin Kirk Brown that their 11-year-old twins were child actors who encountered Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he was a director. The show ran from January 2022 to June 2025.
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Arrest Warrant Details Allegations of Grooming and Sexual Abuse of Twins by Timothy Busfield
Parents of the twins, who are 11 years old, were told by an attorney that they should take their children to the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), where the professionals there indicated that the boys “were groomed.” Nevertheless, at that time, the authorities decided the case was not one that met their acceptance criteria.
In October 2025, the mother of the victims went to the police and also reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) that her children had sexually abused Timothy Busfield and that the abuse had taken place from around November 2022 to Spring 2024.
The mother had been informed that since there was no physical abuse, it was not possible to take any action.
Timothy Busfield Confesses to Allegations; Has Been Reported for Sexual Assault in the Past; Relationship History with Melissa Gilbert
According to the arrest warrant, during their investigation, Timothy Busfield allegedly told the police that the parents of the twins were angry because their sons had been replaced by a younger actor who auditioned. A little later, Warner Bros. contacted Busfield and informed him that there was a complaint investigation going on.
Moreover, the arrest warrant indicates that Timothy Busfield was subjected to a sexual assault allegation which dates as far back as 1994, however, he was not charged then.
On the 29 July episode of the I Choose Me podcast, Melissa Gilbert disclosed that she and Busfield saw each other twice before they started dating. “Actually, we first met really, really, really, really back in the ’80s and then we recreated ourselves in the ’90s. Now, we’ve been together for 13 years,” she uttered.
It was at a bar in 2012 when the couple reconnected, a short time after Gilbert and her ex-husband Bruce Boxleitner separated. Bruce and Gilbert were married from 1995 to 2011. Before that, she had been married to Bo Brinkman between 1988 and 1994.
Melissa Gilbert Celebrated Her 12th Wedding Anniversary by Posting a Tribute to Timothy Busfield
Back in April, Melissa Gilbert commemorated her 12th wedding anniversary by posting a very personal Instagram tribute to her husband, Timothy Busfield.
She listed a number of things that they did in these 12 years, “12 years of true partnership, love, laughter, compassion, commitment, passion, laughter, cooking, kids, grandchildren, chickens, dogs, creating homes, films, plays, television,”. She continued, “12 years of writing together, traveling, cuddling, delicious meals, romantic getaways, spooning, reflecting, meditating, praying.”
Melanie also went on to say thanks and she further explained, “I am so lucky. @timbusfield I love you,” and referring to him as “my favorite person, has my favorite face and favorite soul.”
